CN108603735A - The heat exchanger of structure entirety in plastic shell - Google Patents

Abstract

A heat exchanger has a core defining a plurality of first fluid flow channels and a plurality of second fluid flow channels arranged in an alternating sequence, and a housing surrounding the core. The housing has a top wall arranged opposite to the top of the core and a bottom wall arranged opposite to the bottom of the core. A plurality of connection structures together provide a rigid connection between the core and the housing, wherein each connection structure provides a connection between the top of the core and the top wall of the housing or between the bottom of the core and the bottom wall of the housing; wherein each connection structure includes a first connection element and a second connection element, wherein the first connection element is associated with the core and the second connection element is associated with the housing.

Description

Integral heat exchanger in a plastic housing

technical field

The present invention generally relates to heat exchangers for cooling hot gases with gaseous or liquid coolants, such as charge air coolers for motor vehicles. In particular, the present invention relates to heat exchangers having a plastic shell surrounding a metal heat exchanger core and to improvements in which the metal core can enhance the structural rigidity of the shell.

Background technique

The use of gas-gas and gas-liquid heat exchangers is known to cool compressed charge air in supercharged or turbocharged internal combustion or fuel cell engines, or to cool hot engine exhaust gases. For example, compressed charge air is typically produced by compressing ambient air. During compression, the air can be heated to temperatures of around 200°C or higher and must be cooled before reaching the engine.

Various configurations of gas cooled heat exchangers are known. For example, gas cooled heat exchangers typically have an aluminum core made up of a stack of tubes or plates, each tube or pair of plates defining internal coolant passages for a gaseous or liquid coolant. The pairs of tubes or plates are spaced apart to define gas flow channels which are typically provided with turbulence enhancing inserts to improve heat transfer from the hot gas to the coolant.

According to known constructions for supercharged or turbocharged internal combustion engines, a metal heat exchanger core is enclosed within a housing which is at least partially formed of plastic and which may comprise the engine's inlet ducts or inlet manifolds. Due to the increased pressure and temperature of the charge air entering the heat exchanger, parts of the plastic housing are subjected to high loads and additional supports are required in these areas.

For example, it is known to include reinforcing corrugations and/or ribs in plastic charge air ducts or intake manifolds for internal combustion engines, as disclosed in US2014/0311143A1 (Speidel et al.) and US2014/0216385A1 (Bruggesser et al.) of. These corrugations and stiffeners are usually provided in the walls of the shell above and below the heat exchanger core, often as large unsupported areas. One disadvantage of such corrugations and/or stiffening ribs is that they can increase the thickness of the top and/or bottom walls of the housing by as much as 10-20mm. Since the enclosure is typically contained within limited packaging space, the increased thickness of the top and bottom walls can reduce the amount of space available for the heat exchanger core, and thus can negatively affect the performance of the heat exchanger.

It is also known to support the top and bottom walls of a heat exchanger shell by passing bolts or tie rods completely through the unsupported top and bottom walls of the heat exchanger core and shell, as disclosed for example in US2014/0130764A1 (Saumweber et al.) of. In an alternative embodiment disclosed by Saumweber et al., the tie rods are replaced by profile strips provided on the top and bottom of the heat exchanger or by protrusions provided on the shell. This type of construction may reduce the need to provide reinforcing corrugations and/or ribs in the casing, but is not entirely satisfactory. For example, providing tie rods through the heat exchanger core complicates the construction of the heat exchanger core and increases the number of potential leak paths in the core. Also, the provision of profiles on the top and bottom of the heat exchanger is limited to applications where the heat exchanger is assembled by sliding the core into the shell.

The use of metal in the top and bottom walls of the enclosure can reduce or eliminate the need for additional support in plastic enclosures. Accordingly, the charge air cooler is provided with a composite shell, where a thin aluminum shell surrounds the heat exchanger core, where the plastic inlet and outlet slot parts are attached to the metal shell by crimping. However, this type of shell configuration is typically used with a core having a "tube-to-header" configuration, where the width of the tubes is fixed. This type of core construction has limited flexibility because a fixed tube width requires multiple additions of tubes to vary the performance of the heat exchanger for different applications.

There remains a need for an air-cooled heat exchanger comprising a metal core within a plastic shell, wherein the heat exchanger core provides structural rigidity to the shell without the above-mentioned disadvantages.

Contents of the invention

In one aspect, there is provided a heat exchanger comprising: (a) a core defining a core of a plurality of first fluid flow channels and a plurality of second fluid flow channels arranged in an alternating sequence, wherein , the core is constructed of metal and has a top and a bottom; (b) a shell surrounding the core, the shell having a top wall opposite to the top of the core, and a top wall opposite to the bottom of the core opposingly disposed bottom walls, wherein at least the top and bottom walls of the housing are constructed of plastic; (c) a plurality of connecting structures which together provide a rigid connection between the core and the housing , wherein each connecting structure provides a connection between the top of the core and the top wall of the housing or between the bottom of the core and the bottom wall of the housing; wherein each connecting structure comprises A first connection element and a second connection element, wherein the first connection element is associated with the core and the second connection element is associated with the shell.

In one embodiment, said first and second connection elements each comprise a protruding portion or a receiving portion. In one embodiment, said protruding portion is received in said receiving portion. In one embodiment, said protruding portion and said receiving portion are fixed together.

In one embodiment, the receiving portion comprises a recess or aperture in the top or bottom of the core, or a recess or aperture in the top or bottom wall of the housing. In one embodiment, each said receiving portion comprises a recess or aperture in the top or bottom of said core, and each said protruding portion extends from a top or bottom wall of said housing to said receiving part. In an alternative embodiment, each said receiving portion comprises a recess or aperture in the top or bottom wall of said housing, and each said protruding portion extends from the top or bottom of said core to said the receiving part.

In one embodiment, the top of the core is defined by a top plate and the bottom of the core is defined by a bottom plate. In one embodiment, each said receiving portion comprises a recess or aperture in a top or bottom plate, wherein each said recess or aperture is undercut so as to pass from the top or bottom wall of said housing towards said The area increases in the direction relative to the top or bottom of the core. In one embodiment, each said receiving portion comprises an aperture through said top plate or said bottom plate. In one embodiment, said top panel and/or said bottom panel are of composite construction comprising first and second perforated panels, wherein said first perforated panel comprises a first plurality of apertures in a first region and the second apertured plate includes a second plurality of apertures in a second region, wherein the first and second apertures are combined in the first and second plates to form the The top or bottom plates are aligned, and wherein the area of the first opening is greater than the area of the second opening.

In one embodiment, said core comprises a plurality of plate pairs, each said plate pair defining one of said second fluid flow channels and comprising a first core plate and a second core plate, said plate pairs consisting of spaced apart defining the first fluid flow channel, the first fluid flow channel having an inlet and an outlet; and wherein the housing has a first fluid inlet opening and a first fluid inlet manifold to supply the first fluid an inlet to the first fluid flow channel, and the housing has a first fluid outlet opening and a first fluid outlet manifold to receive the first fluid from the outlet of the first fluid flow channel.

In one embodiment, both the top plate and the bottom plate are thicker than one of the core plates.

In one embodiment, the housing comprises a plurality of sections.

In another aspect, there is provided a method for manufacturing a heat exchanger comprising a core and an outer shell surrounding the core, and further comprising a plurality of connecting structures which together are connected to the core A rigid connection is provided between the core and the outer shell, wherein each of the connecting structures comprises a first connecting element associated with the core and a second connecting element associated with the outer shell. The method includes: (a) providing the core defining a plurality of first fluid flow channels and a plurality of second fluid flow channels arranged in an alternating sequence, wherein the core is comprised of metal and has top and bottom; providing said shell having a top wall and a bottom wall and comprising a first section and a second section; (c) at said core at said first section and second section between sections, moving at least one of the first section and the second section of the housing toward each other along the assembly axis such that: (i) the first and second sections of the housing engage each other to fit the shell on the core such that the top wall of the shell is arranged opposite the top of the core and the bottom wall of the shell is arranged opposite the bottom of the core; and (ii) each of said first connecting elements of said core is engaged with one of said second connecting elements of said shell; (d) securing the first and second sections of said shell together; (e) securing together the first and second connection elements of the connection structure.

In one embodiment, said assembly axis is perpendicular to the top and bottom of said core such that the top wall of said shell is arranged in said first section and the bottom wall of said shell is arranged in said second section. In the second section.

In one embodiment, the assembly axis is parallel to the top and bottom of said core such that said first and second sections of said shell each comprise a portion of said top wall and a portion of said bottom wall.

In one embodiment, the first and second sections of the housing are secured together by one or more of welding and mechanical fasteners.

In one embodiment, the step of securing together the first and second connection elements of the connection structure comprises deforming the second connection element so as to provide an interconnection between the first and second connection elements. lock fit.

In one embodiment, said deforming comprises heating and softening the portion of the second connection element engaged with said first connection element.

In one embodiment, the step of securing together said first and second connection elements of said connection structure comprises mechanically fastening said first and second connection elements.

Description of drawings

Embodiments will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-section of a heat exchanger according to a first embodiment;

Figure 2 is a transverse cross-section of the heat exchanger of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse cross-section of the heat exchanger of Figure 1 showing the assembly of the shell on the core;

Figure 4 is a partially enlarged transverse cross-section showing elements of the connection structure in the heat exchanger of Figure 1 in an unfixed state;

Figure 5 is a view of the connection structure of Figure 4 in an intermediate state;

Figure 6 is a view of the connection structure of Figure 4 in a fixed state;

Figure 7 is a partial cross-sectional side view of an alternative top or bottom panel of composite construction;

Figure 8 is a partial cross-sectional side view of an alternative top or bottom plate including an intermediate seal plate;

Figure 9 is a partial top perspective view of the top or bottom plate of the heat exchanger of Figure 1;

10 is a longitudinal cross-section of a heat exchanger according to a second embodiment;

Figure 11 is an enlarged cross-section of a connection structure of the heat exchanger of Figure 10;

Figure 12 is a longitudinal or transverse cross-section of a heat exchanger according to a third embodiment;

Figure 13 is a longitudinal or transverse cross-section of the heat exchanger of Figure 12 showing the assembly of the shell on the core; and

14 to 16 are explanatory views showing the connection structure of the heat exchanger of FIG. 12 .

Detailed ways

A heat exchanger 10 according to a first embodiment is now described below with reference to FIGS. 1 to 9 .

As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the heat exchanger 10 includes a core 12 having a top 14, a bottom 16, a pair of sides 18, 20, a first end 22 defining an inlet 30 for a first fluid, defining The second end 24 is an outlet 32 for the first fluid, and a corresponding inlet opening 26 and outlet opening 28 for the second fluid. The core 12 defines a plurality of first fluid flow channels 52 and a plurality of second fluid flow channels 50 arranged in an alternating sequence.

The core 12 of the heat exchanger 10 is made of metal. For example, core 12 may be constructed of aluminum or an aluminum alloy, wherein the components of core 12 are rigidly joined together by brazing. As used herein, the term "aluminum" is intended to include aluminum and alloys thereof.

The heat exchanger 10 further includes an outer shell 34 at least partially surrounding the core 12 . The housing 34 includes at least a top wall 36 disposed in opposed spaced relation to the top 14 of the core 12 and a bottom wall 38 disposed in opposed spaced relation to the bottom 16 of the core 12 . At least the top wall 36 and the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 are constructed of an organic polymeric material (ie, "plastic") capable of withstanding the elevated operating temperatures to which the heat exchanger 10 will be exposed. In the embodiment described herein, the entire housing 34 is constructed of plastic, such as thermoplastic.

The housing 34 includes a first fluid inlet opening 40 in communication with the first fluid inlet opening 30 of the core 12 and also includes a first fluid inlet fitting 41 for direct or indirect connection to upstream components of the vehicle's engine system. The housing 34 includes a first fluid outlet opening 42 in communication with the first fluid outlet opening 32 of the core 12 and also includes a first fluid outlet fitting 43 for direct or indirect connection to downstream components of the vehicle's engine system.

The interior of the housing 34 includes three chambers, a first chamber 64 in which the core 12 is received between the top wall 36 and the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34; a second chamber 66 (also referred to herein as The "inlet chamber 66"), which is located between the first fluid inlet opening 40 of the shell 34 and the first fluid inlet opening 30 of the core 12; the third chamber 68 (also referred to herein as the "outlet chamber") 68") between the first fluid outlet opening 42 of the housing 34 and the first fluid outlet opening 32 of the core 12. The inlet chamber 66 provides an inlet manifold space in which the first fluid entering the heat exchanger 10 through the first fluid inlet opening 40 of the shell 34 is distributed over the area of the first fluid inlet opening 30 of the core 12 . Similarly, the outlet chamber 68 provides an outlet manifold space in which the first fluid expelled from the first fluid outlet opening 32 of the core 12 is collected before exiting the housing 34 through the first fluid outlet opening 32 .

As will be discussed further below, the housing 34 includes at least two sections, including a first section 44 and a second section 46 that are sealingly connected together along respective connecting flanges 114 , 116 . The housing 34 also includes an inlet opening 118 and an outlet opening 120 and an inlet fitting 122 and an outlet fitting 124 for the second fluid, as will be described further below.

In the embodiments described herein, heat exchanger 10 may comprise a charge air cooler or intercooler that is used by an engine requiring compressed charge air, such as a supercharged internal combustion engine, Motor vehicles powered by a turbocharged internal combustion engine or a fuel cell engine are located between the air compressor (ie, the upstream component of the vehicle's engine system) and the intake manifold (ie, the downstream component of the vehicle's engine system). In some embodiments, heat exchanger 10 may be integrally formed with an intake manifold of a motor vehicle, such as described by Speidel et al. in the aforementioned publication.

The heat exchanger 10 described herein may be a liquid-to-air charge air cooler, in which case the first fluid is hot pressurized air produced by the vehicle's air compressor and the second fluid is liquid coolant , the liquid coolant can be the same as the engine coolant, such as water or a water/glycol mixture. In other embodiments, the heat exchanger 10 may comprise a gas-to-gas charge air cooler, in which case the first fluid is hot pressurized air and the second fluid may be ambient air, or in a fuel cell In the case of an engine, it is the exhaust gas from the fuel cell stack. In other embodiments, heat exchanger 10 may comprise an engine oil cooler, in which case the first fluid is hot engine or transmission oil and the second fluid is liquid engine coolant.

It should be understood that the specific arrangement and location of the inlet and outlet openings for the first and second fluids will depend, at least in part, on the specific configuration of the vehicle air intake system, and will vary from application to application.

The configuration of the core 12 is variable, and the specific configuration described herein and shown in the drawings is but one example of possible core configurations. The structure of the core 12 is best seen in the cross-sectional views of FIGS. 1 to 3 . The core 12 includes a stack of flat tubes 48 each having a hollow interior defining a coolant flow channel 50 . The tubes 48 may be of various configurations, and in this embodiment each tube comprises a first core plate 47 and a second core plate 49 connected together in face-to-face relationship and flanged by brazing along their perimeters. And sealed together. Accordingly, these tubes are sometimes referred to herein as "plate pairs" and the same reference numeral 48 is used herein to identify tubes and plate pairs.

The tubes 48 are spaced apart from each other with a first fluid flow passage 52 defined between adjacent tubes 48 . The first fluid flow channel 52 extends from the inlet end 22 to the outlet end 24 of the core 12 and the direction of gas flow through the core 12 is shown by the longitudinal axis A in FIG. 1 . The spaces between adjacent tubes 48 are open at the first end 22 and the second end 24 of the core 12, and the open ends of these spaces collectively define respective inlets 30 and outlets 32 for the first fluid.

The first fluid flow channel 52 may be provided with turbulence enhancing inserts 62 , such as corrugated fins or turbulence enhancers, to provide increased turbulence and surface area for heat transfer, and to provide structural support for the core 12 . The corrugated fins and turbulence enhancers are only shown schematically in the figures.

As used herein, the terms "fin" and "turbulence enhancer" are intended to mean a corrugated turbulence-enhancing insert having a plurality of axially extending ridges or crests connected by sidewalls, wherein the Ridges are rounded or flat. As defined herein, a "fin" has continuous ridges and a "turbulence enhancer" has ridges interrupted along its length such that the axial flow through the turbulence enhancer is curved. Turbulators are sometimes referred to as offset or cut strip fins, and examples of such turbulence enhancers are described in US Pat. No. Re. 35,890 (So) and US Pat. No. 6,273,183 (So et al.). The So and So et al. patents are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety. The corrugation of the turbulence enhancing insert 62 in the form of fins is shown schematically in FIG. 2 for illustrative purposes, but it should be understood that the spacing of the corrugations is generally smaller than that shown in FIG. . As shown in Figure 2, the turbulence enhancing insert 62 is oriented such that the openings defined by the corrugations face the direction of flow of the first fluid.

The second fluid flow channels 50 of the core 12 are connected by a pair of second fluid manifolds, a second fluid inlet manifold 54 and a second fluid outlet manifold 56 . In this embodiment, the manifolds 54, 56 are formed by providing perforated upstanding bosses or blisters in each of said core plates 47, 49 forming the tube 48, wherein the bosses of adjacent plate pairs 48 are connected to form continuous manifolds 54,56. A manifold 54 , 56 communicates with each second fluid flow channel 50 and extends the entire height of the core 12 from the top 14 to the bottom 16 .

The top 14 of the core 12 is defined by a top plate 60 and the bottom 16 of the core 12 is defined by a bottom plate 58 . Bottom plate 58 and top plate 60 are each brazed to one of core plates 47 or 49 in core 12 and may be constructed of thicker metal than core plates 47 , 49 to provide structural rigidity to core 12 . Alternatively, the top plate 60 and the bottom plate 58 may be connected to the turbulence enhancing inserts 62 of the uppermost and lowermost first airflow channels 52, respectively. In this embodiment, the lower ends of the manifolds 54 , 56 are closed by the bottom plate 58 , while the inlet opening 26 and the outlet opening 28 for the second fluid are defined in the top plate 60 .

The arrangement of the inlet openings 26 and outlet openings 28 and the manifolds 56 , 58 in the core 12 is variable and depends on the specific configuration of the heat exchanger 10 . For example, the second fluid inlet manifold 54 and outlet manifold 56 may be spaced apart along the direction of airflow A such that the first fluid and the second fluid are co-flowing or counter-flowing with each other. Alternatively, the manifolds 54, 56 may both be positioned adjacent the same end 22 or 24 of the core 12 such that the second fluid flow channel 50 is U-shaped. Also, one or both of the inlet opening 26 and the outlet opening 28 for the second fluid may be provided in the bottom plate 58 instead of the top plate 60 .

Any gaps between the shell 34 and the periphery of the core 12 may be sealed by a resilient sealing member, such as the sealing member 67 shown in FIG. 1 . The provision of the seal 67 reduces or eliminates any bypass flow of the first fluid between the core 12 and the shell 34 that would negatively affect the performance of the heat exchanger 10 .

The heat exchanger 10 further includes a plurality of connection structures 70 which together provide a rigid connection between the core 12 and the shell 34 . These rigid connections between core 12 and shell 34 allow rigid metallic core 12 to provide additional structural rigidity to shell 34 to allow shell 34 to withstand the high pressure and temperature of the first fluid without significant deformation.

Each connection structure 70 provides a connection between the top 14 of the core 12 and the top wall 36 of the housing 34 , or between the bottom 16 of the core 12 and the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 . The additional structural rigidity provided by the connecting structure 70 provides support for the top and bottom walls 36, 38 of the housing 34, thereby avoiding the need to increase the thickness of the housing 34 to accommodate ribs and corrugations, and avoiding the need for bolts or tie rods to pass completely through the heat exchange. The requirements of the core 12 and the top wall 36 and bottom wall 38 of the housing 34. Thus, the use of the connection structure 70 allows the heat exchanger core 12 to be sized to maximize the performance of the heat exchanger 10 while avoiding creating additional leak paths through the core 12 .

Each connecting structure 70 comprises a first connecting element 72 associated with the core 12 and a second connecting element 74 associated with the shell 34 . In the context of the embodiments discussed herein, the term "associated with" is interpreted to mean attached to, integrally formed with, projecting from, and/or formed in or through.

For example, in the first embodiment, the first connecting element 72 and the second connecting element 74 are integrally formed with the core 12 and the shell 34, respectively, and each include a protruding portion or a receiving portion, as further described below.

Also in the first embodiment, each of said first connection elements 72 comprises a recess or aperture in the bottom plate 58 or the top plate 60 of the core 12 . Each recess or aperture is undercut such that it is in the direction towards the core 12 , that is, in the direction from the top wall 36 of the housing 34 towards the top 14 of the core 12 , or in the direction of the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 . The area in the direction of the bottom 16 of the core 12 increases.

Referring specifically to the drawings, each first connection element 72 in the heat exchanger 10 includes a circular aperture 76 extending completely through either the bottom plate 58 or the top plate 60 . Each aperture 76 has a "stepped" configuration comprising a first hole 78 on one side of the bottom plate 58 or top plate 60 and a second hole 80 on the opposite side of said plate 58, 60, wherein the first The hole 78 has a larger diameter and area than the second hole 80 . The larger first hole 78 leads to the side of the bottom plate 58 or top plate 60 facing the core 12 , while the smaller second hole 80 leads to the opposite side of the bottom plate 58 or top plate 60 . In the illustrated embodiment, the two holes 78, 80 are concentric.

Instead of having a stepped configuration as shown in the figures, the orifice 76 may have a frustoconical or countersunk configuration with a smaller opening extending from one side of the plates 58, 60 to the opposite side. The smooth tapering inner wall of the larger opening.

In the first embodiment, each of said second connecting elements 74 comprises a protruding portion extending from either the top wall 36 or the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 to one of said receiving portions, wherein said protruding portion is received and fixed into one of said receiving parts, said receiving part constituting the above-mentioned first connection element 72 .

With particular reference to the drawings, each of said second connection elements 74 includes an elongated protrusion 82 , also referred to herein as a finger 82 . Each finger 82 has a first end 84 integrally formed with and attached to the inner surface of the top wall 36 or bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 and its opposite second end 86 secured to the bottom plate. 58 or an opening 76 in the top plate 60.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 , 2 and 6, the second end 86 of the finger 82 extends beyond the aperture at the side of the bottom plate 58 or top plate 60 facing the opposite bottom wall 38 or top wall 36 of the housing 34. 76 dimensions (ie, diameter and/or area). In the particular configuration shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6, the expanded second end 86 of each finger 82 is captured within the larger first hole 78 of the aperture 76 and is too large to pass through the larger first hole 78. The small second hole 80 is extracted.

One method of manufacturing the heat exchanger 10 is now described below with reference to FIGS. 3 to 6 .

As noted above, the housing 34 includes a first section 44 and a second section 46 . In this embodiment, the first section 44 is a top section including the top wall 36 of the housing 34 and the second section 46 is a bottom section including the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 . In this embodiment, the first and second sections are shown as having approximately the same size and shape; however, this need not be the case and the size and shape will depend on the particular application.

3 shows a top section 44 and a bottom section 46 of the housing 34 spaced apart from each other along the assembly axis B, wherein the core 12 is located between the sections 44, 46 and is oriented such that the top of the core 12 14 faces the top wall 36 of the shell 34 and the bottom 16 of the core 12 faces the bottom wall 38 of the shell 34 . For convenience, the second fluid inlet fitting 122 is omitted from FIG. 3 . The shell 34 is fitted on the core 12 by moving at least one of the first section 44 and the second section 46 towards each other along the fitting axis B. As shown in FIG. The movement of the segments 44 and/or 46 towards each other continues until the segments 44 and 46 engage each other along their respective connecting flanges 114 , 116 and until each of said first connecting elements of the core 12 72 engages with one of the second connection elements 74 of the housing 34 and is fixed to this second connection element 74 .

FIGS. 3 and 4 each show the connection structure 70 in a pre-assembled state, wherein the second end 86 of the finger 82 is a free end spaced from the aperture 76 of the opposing bottom plate 58 or top plate 60 . At this stage of the process, the size of the second end 86 of the fingers 82 will allow them to pass through the smaller side of the aperture 76, ie the second hole 80 in FIGS. 3 and 4 . For example, as shown, the finger 82 may have a substantially constant diameter or area from its first end 84 to its second end 86 . Additionally, the fingers 82 may have a cylindrical cross-section that fits within the circular shape of the aperture 76 .

FIG. 5 shows an intermediate configuration of the connection structure 70 . At this stage of the method, the first section 44 and the second section 46 have been moved towards each other along the assembly axis B to a point where the second end 86 of the finger 82 has been at least partially inserted into the base plate 58 or the opening 76 of the top plate 60. At this point, the dimensions of the second ends 86 of the fingers 82 will still allow them to pass through the smaller side of the aperture 76 , and thus the fingers 82 are not yet secured within the aperture 76 . At this stage of the method, the connecting flanges 114, 116 of the sections 44, 46 may be slightly spaced from each other.

FIG. 6 shows the final configuration of the connecting structure 70, wherein the second end 86 of the finger 82 has been expanded to a size: this size is larger than the opposite bottom wall 38 of the bottom plate 58 or the top plate 60 facing the housing 34. Or the size of the aperture 76 at one side of the top wall 36 . In the particular configuration shown in Figures 1, 2 and 6, the expanded second end 86 of each finger 82 is captured within the larger first hole 78 of the aperture 76 and is too large to pass through the larger first hole 78. The small second hole 80 is withdrawn so that the first connecting element 72 and the second connecting element 74 are secured together.

The expansion of the second end 86 of the finger 82 can be accomplished in various ways. For example, where housing 34 is constructed of thermoplastic, second end 86 of finger 82 may be softened by being heated immediately before and/or during movement of segments 44 , 46 toward each other along assembly axis B. Heating can be accomplished by induction or by contacting the second end 86 of the finger 82 with hot gas or a heating plate. The application of heat at the second end 86 of the finger 82 is indicated by the wavy line 126 in FIG. 3 .

By applying a compressive force to the fingers 82 while the second end 86 is in the softened state, the softened second end 86 can be deformed into the expanded shape shown in FIGS. 1 , 2 and 6 . Compression may be applied by continuing to move segments 44 and/or 46 toward each other along axis B after fingers 82 have been inserted into apertures 76 . Accordingly, the fingers 82 are of sufficient length that they will fully extend into the aperture 76 before the connecting flanges 114, 116 of the sections 44, 46 engage each other. By comparing FIGS. 5 and 6 , it can be seen that the distance from the top wall 36 of the housing 34 is reduced by the compression and deformation of the second end 86 of the finger 82 .

Once the connecting flanges 114, 116 of the sections 44, 46 are engaged with each other, they may be hermetically connected together by any suitable means, such as mechanically or by welding.

7 and 8 show alternative configurations for the bottom plate 58 or top plate 60 . In FIG. 7, the bottom plate 58 and/or the top plate 60 are of composite construction, including first and second orifice plates 88, 90, which are hermetically secured together, such as by brazing. The first apertured plate 88 includes a first plurality of apertures 92 of a first diameter and/or area, and the second apertured plate 90 includes a second plurality of apertures 94 of a second diameter and/or area. When the first plate 88 and the second plate 90 are stacked, the first aperture 92 and the second aperture 94 are aligned with each other, the area of the first aperture 92 being greater than the area of the second aperture 94 . The term "aligned" means that the first aperture 92 and the second aperture 94 are concentric or substantially concentric within acceptable manufacturing tolerances. When assembled to form the bottom plate 58 or the top plate 60 , the first aperture 92 forms the first aperture 78 of the aperture 76 and the second aperture 94 forms the second aperture 80 .

In FIG. 8 , an intermediate plate 96 is provided between the bottom plate 58 and/or the top plate 60 to seal the larger hole 78 of the orifice 76 in contact with the core 12 . This allows the orifice 76 to be provided on the area of the bottom plate 58 and/or top plate 60 that seals off the second fluid manifold 54 , 56 without the risk of the second fluid leaking through the orifice 76 .

FIG. 9 shows a top plate 60 having either the second fluid inlet 26 or the outlet 28 and having orifices 76 distributed over the remainder of the top plate 60 .

A heat exchanger 200 according to a second embodiment is now described below with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 . The heat exchanger 200 includes a number of elements in common with the heat exchanger 10 described above, and these same elements are identified with the same reference numerals, and the above description of these same elements in relation to the heat exchanger 10 is also applicable to the heat exchanger 200 components.

With the exception of the bottom plate 58 and the top plate 60 , the core 12 of the heat exchanger 200 is the same as the core 12 of the heat exchanger 10 described above. Accordingly, a detailed description of the core 12 is omitted from the following discussion. Furthermore, the housing 34 of the heat exchanger 200 includes a first section 44 and a second section 46, the top wall 36 is disposed in the first section 44, the bottom wall 38 is disposed in the second section 46, the two sections 44 , 46 are sealingly connected together along their respective connection flanges 114 , 116 . The arrangement of the inlet openings 40 , 42 and the fittings 41 , 43 for the first fluid in the heat exchanger 200 is substantially the same as that of the heat exchanger 10 . Although the openings and fittings for the second fluid provided in the bottom plate 58, top plate 60, and housing 34 are not shown in FIG. The configuration of these elements is substantially the same as that of the heat exchanger 10 due to the location in the heat exchanger 200.

The following description of heat exchanger 200 will focus on the configuration of connection structure 70 , which differs slightly from that of heat exchanger 10 .

In a second embodiment, each of said connecting structures 70 comprises a first connecting element 72 comprising a protruding portion attached to and extending from either the top 14 or the bottom 16 of the core 12, And each of said second connection elements 74 includes a receiving portion integrally formed in the top wall 36 or bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 .

With particular reference to FIGS. 10 and 11 , each of the first connection elements 72 includes an elongated threaded metal post 98 protruding from one of the bottom plate 58 or the top plate 60 . Each of said second connection elements 74 includes an aperture 76 through either the top wall 36 or the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 .

Each stud 98 has a first end 84 that is secured to the base plate 58 or top plate 60, such as by screwing the first end 84 into a nut 100 that is welded or brazed to the base plate 58 or top plate 60. , wherein FIG. 11 shows the brazing fillet 130 of the base of the nut 100 . Each stud 98 also has a second threaded end 86 that extends completely through one of the apertures 76 and is secured by a nut 102 .

The shell 34 of the heat exchanger 200 fits over the core 12 in a similar manner to the heat exchanger 10 described above. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, studs 98 are attached to the bottom plate 58 and top plate 60, and as shown in FIG. , 46 are spaced apart from each other along the assembly axis B, wherein the top 14 of the core 12 faces the top wall 36 of the housing 34 and the bottom 16 of the core 12 faces the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 . The shell 34 is fitted on the core 12 by moving at least one of the first section 44 and the second section 46 towards each other along the fitting axis B. As shown in FIG. Section 44 and/or section 46 continues to move towards each other until section 44 and section 46 engage each other along their respective connecting flanges 114, 116, and until the threaded second end 86 of each stud 98 is fully Extends through one of said apertures 76 . At this point, the nut 102 is threaded onto the second end 86 of the stud 98 so as to be between the top 14 of the core 12 and the top wall 36 of the housing 34 or between the bottom 16 of the core 12 and the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34. A rigid connection is provided between them in order to provide the benefits described above for the heat exchanger 10 .

Once the connecting flanges 114, 116 of the sections 44, 46 are engaged with each other, they may be hermetically joined together by any suitable means, such as mechanically or by welding, other than the mechanical connection provided by the stud 98 and nut 102. . Each connection structure 70 provides a connection between the top 14 of the core 12 and the top wall 36 of the housing 34 , or between the bottom 16 of the core 12 and the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 . The additional structural rigidity provided by the connecting structure 70 provides support for the top wall 36 and the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34, thereby providing the advantages described above.

In the heat exchanger 200 , it can be seen that the nuts 100 are received in protrusions 128 in the top and bottom walls 36 and 38 of the housing 34 , and that the top and bottom walls 36 and 38 are substantially aligned with the corresponding top plates of the core 12 . 60 is in contact with the bottom plate 58. In this case, it may not be necessary to provide a bypass barrier seal (similar to the seal 27 ) at least along the top 14 and bottom 16 of the core 12 . However, it should be understood that the top wall 36 and bottom wall 38 of the shell 34 may be spaced from the corresponding top 14 and bottom 16 of the core 12, as in the heat exchanger 10, in which case seals such as seals may be provided. 67 to prevent bypass flow.

A heat exchanger 300 according to a third embodiment is now described below with reference to FIGS. 12 to 16 . The heat exchanger 300 includes a number of elements in common with the heat exchangers 10 and 200 described above. These same elements are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the above description of these same elements in relation to heat exchanger 10 and/or 200 applies equally to elements of heat exchanger 300 unless otherwise stated.

The core 12 of the heat exchanger 300 is identical to the heat exchanger 300 described above, except that the bottom plate 58 and top plate 60 are connected to the turbulence enhancing inserts 62 of the lowermost and uppermost first fluid flow channels instead of the tube or plate pair 48. The core 12 of the exchanger 10 is similar or identical. However, this difference is not important to the present discussion, and heat exchanger 300 may be provided with the same core configuration as heat exchanger 10 except as described below. For convenience, the figures do not show any manifolds or inlet or outlet openings for the second fluid, but it is understood that these openings will be present in the core 12 of the heat exchanger 300 .

The heat exchanger 300 includes a housing 34 that includes a first section 44 and a second section 46 that are sealingly connected together along their respective connecting flanges 114, 116. . In this embodiment, the first segment 44 and the second segment 46 each include a portion of the top wall 36 and a portion of the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 . For convenience, the figures show the housing 34 of the heat exchanger 300 without any inlet or outlet for the first and second fluids, nor do the figures show inlet or outlet fittings for the second fluid . Accordingly, FIGS. 12 and 13 may represent longitudinal or transverse cross-sections of the heat exchanger 300 .

In a third embodiment, each of said connection structures 70 comprises a first connection element 72 and a second connection element 74 as described above, wherein each said first connection element 72 comprises a connection with the top 14 of the core 12 or a protruding portion associated with the bottom 16 , and each of said second connecting elements 74 includes a receiving portion associated with the top wall 36 or bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 .

Referring specifically to FIGS. 12 to 16 , each of said first connection elements 72 includes a tab 104 having a fixed to the core, for example by brazing or welding (brazing fillet 130 as shown in FIGS. 15 and 16 ). A first portion 106 of the bottom plate 58 or top plate 60 of 12 and at least one free end 108 oriented substantially parallel to the bottom plate 58 or top plate 60 and spaced therefrom. As shown in FIG. 14 , the free ends 108 of the tabs 104 are each directed towards the outer edge of the plate 58 or 60 .

Each of said second connection elements 74 comprises a slotted protrusion 110 extending from the top wall 36 or bottom wall 38 of the housing 34 towards the core 12 . In this embodiment, the slotted protrusion 110 is U-shaped and includes a slot 112 in which the free end 108 of the tab 104 is received. The slotted protrusions 110 may be integrally formed with the top wall 36 and bottom wall 38 of the housing, or they may be formed separately and attached to the top of the housing by any suitable means, such as by welding and/or by mechanical attachment. wall and bottom wall.

By placing the core 12 between the sections 44 and 46 in the orientation shown in FIG. Portions of the top wall 36 and bottom wall 38 at 44 , 46 are in parallel spaced relation to assemble the heat exchanger 300 . By moving at least one of the first section 44 and the second section 46 toward each other along an assembly axis C parallel to the top plate 60 and the bottom plate 58 and parallel to the free ends 108 of the tabs 104, the housing 34 is assembled on the core 12. The movement of the segments 44 and/or 46 towards each other continues until the segments 44 and 46 engage each other along their respective connecting flanges 114 , 116 and until each of said first connecting elements of the core 12 72 engages with and is secured to one of the second connection elements 74 of the housing 34 . The first connecting element 72 and the second connecting element 74 are arranged such that when the connecting flanges 114 , 116 of the sections 44 , 46 are engaged with each other, the free end 108 of the tab 104 will engage the slot 112 of the slotted protrusion 110 . Fully engaged and secured in this slot. Once the sections 44 , 46 of the housing 34 are sealingly connected together, the free ends 108 of the tabs 104 need not be deformed to keep them engaged with the slotted protrusion 110 .

Once the connecting flanges 114, 116 of the sections 44, 46 are engaged with each other, they may be sealingly connected together by any suitable means, such as mechanically or by welding. With the flanges 114, 116 connected and the first connecting element 72 and the second connecting element 74 secured together, the connecting structure 70 is between the top wall 36 of the shell 34 and the top 14 of the core 12 and between the shell A rigid connection is provided between the bottom wall 38 of the core 34 and the bottom 16 of the core 12 . The additional structural rigidity provided by the connecting structure 70 provides support for the top wall 36 and the bottom wall 38 of the housing 34, thereby providing the advantages described above.

In FIG. 12 , it can be seen that the top wall 36 and bottom wall 38 of the shell are spaced apart from the corresponding top plate 60 and bottom plate 58 of the core 12 . Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a bypass barrier seal (similar to seal 27 ) at least along the top 14 , bottom 16 and sides of core 12 .

14 is an illustration showing possible spacing of the tab 104 across the top panel 60, and shows one of the slotted protrusions 110 and one of the free slots of the tab closest to the front edge of the panel 60. End 108 engages.

15 shows the relative movement of the slotted protrusion 110 and the tab 104 relative to each other along the assembly axis C until the free end 108 of the tab 104 is fully inserted into the slot 112 of the slotted protrusion 110 and is secured therein. inside the slot.

Although the invention has been described in connection with certain embodiments, the invention is not limited thereto. Rather, the invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims (21)

1. a kind of heat exchanger, including：

(a) core, the core limit the multiple first fluid flow channels arranged with alternating sequence and multiple second fluid streams Dynamic channel, wherein the core consists of metal and has top and bottom；

(b) surround the shell of the core, the shell have the roof positioned opposite with the top of the core and with institute State the bottom of core bottom wall positioned opposite, wherein at least described roof of the shell and the bottom wall are made of plastics；

(c) multiple connection structures, the multiple connection structure provide rigid connection between the core and the shell together, Wherein, each connection structure is between the top of the core and the roof of the shell or in the bottom of the core Connection is provided between the bottom wall of the shell；

Wherein, each connection structure includes the first connecting element and the second connecting element, wherein first connecting element It is associated with the core, and second connecting element is associated with the shell.

2. heat exchanger according to claim 1, wherein first and second connecting element includes respectively protrusion Or receiving portion.

3. heat exchanger according to claim 2, wherein the protrusion is accommodated in the receiving portion.

4. heat exchanger according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the protrusion and the receiving portion are fixed on Together.

5. heat exchanger according to any one of claim 2 to 4, wherein the receiving portion is included in the core Top or bottom in recess portion or aperture, or the recess portion in the roof or bottom wall of the shell or aperture.

6. heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein each receiving portion be included in the core top or Recess portion in bottom or aperture, and each protrusion extends to the receiving part from the roof or bottom wall of the shell Point.

7. heat exchanger according to claim 5, wherein each receiving portion includes positioned at the described of the shell Roof or the recess portion in the bottom wall or aperture, and each protrusion is extended to from the top of the core or bottom The receiving portion.

8. heat exchanger according to any one of claim 1 to 7, wherein the top of the core is limited by top plate, institute The bottom for stating core is limited by bottom plate.

9. heat exchanger according to claim 8, wherein each receiving portion is included in the top plate or the bottom Recess portion in plate or aperture, wherein each recess portion or aperture are undercut so as to from the roof of the shell or bottom Wall towards the core opposite crests or bottom direction on increase area.

10. heat exchanger according to claim 9, wherein each receiving portion includes across the top plate or institute State the aperture of bottom plate.

11. heat exchanger according to claim 10, wherein the top plate and/or the bottom plate are compound structure, including First and second perforated panels, wherein first perforated panel includes multiple first apertures in the first region, and described Two perforated panels include multiple second apertures in the second area, wherein first and second aperture is in described first and Two plates are aligned when being combined to form at the top plate or bottom plate, and wherein, and the area in first aperture is more than described second The area in aperture.

12. the heat exchanger according to any one of claim 8 to 11, wherein the core includes multiple plates pair, each The plate to limiting one in second fluid flowing channel and including the first core plate and the second core plate, the plate to by The space for limiting the first fluid flow channel separates, and the first fluid flow channel has entrance and exit；And

Wherein, the shell has first fluid entrance opening and first fluid inlet manifold, and the first fluid is supplied To the entrance of the first fluid flow channel, and there is the shell first fluid exit opening and first fluid to export discrimination Pipe, to receive the first fluid from the outlet of the first fluid flow channel.

13. heat exchanger according to any one of claim 1 to 12, wherein the top plate and the bottom plate are than institute One stated in core plate is thicker.

14. heat exchanger according to any one of claim 1 to 13, wherein the shell includes multiple sections.

15. a kind of method for manufacturing heat exchanger, the heat exchanger includes core and surrounds the shell of the core, and And further comprising multiple connection structures, the multiple connection structure provides rigidity between the core and the shell together Connection, wherein each connection structure includes and associated first connecting element of the core and related with the shell Second connecting element of connection, the method includes：

(a) core is provided, the core limits the multiple first fluid flow channels arranged with alternating sequence and multiple the Two fluid flowing passages, wherein the core consists of metal and has top and bottom；

(b) shell is provided, the shell has roof and bottom wall, and includes the first section and the second section；

It (c) between the first section and the second section that the core is located at the shell, will be described outer along assembly axis when At least one of first section and the second section of shell move towards each other so that：

(i) first and second section of the shell is made to be engaged with each other on the core, to make shell assembly The shell the roof be arranged to it is opposite with the top of the core, and the bottom wall of the shell be arranged to The bottom of the core is opposite；And

(ii) each of described core first connecting element is engaged with second connecting element of the shell；

(d) the first and second sections of the shell are fixed together；And

(e) first and second connecting element of the connection structure is fixed together.

16. according to the method for claim 15, wherein the assembly axis perpendicular to the top and bottom of the core, So that the roof of the shell is arranged in first section, and the bottom wall of the shell is arranged in second section In.

17. according to the method for claim 15, wherein the assembly axis is parallel to the top and bottom of the core, So that first and second section of the shell includes respectively a part for a part and the bottom wall for the roof.

18. the method according to any one of claim 15 to 17, wherein first and second section of the shell It is fixed together by one or more of welding and machanical fastener.

19. according to the method for claim 15, wherein consolidate first and second connecting element of the connection structure The step of being scheduled on together include：Second connecting element is set to deform, so as in first connecting element and the second connection member Interlock fit is provided between part.

20. according to the method for claim 15, wherein the deformation includes heating and softening and first connecting element The part of second connecting element of engagement.

21. according to the method for claim 15, wherein consolidate first and second connecting element of the connection structure The step of being scheduled on together include：Mechanically fasten first and second connecting element.